Word Order Facts
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The Niger-Congo languages

Language family · Africa

WALS includes 324 Niger-Congo languages in 57 branches; all of them are in Africa.

Basic word order: SVO in 173 of the 187 members coded, then no dominant order in 12, SOV in 2.

The most solid shared trait: all 56 members coded for Uvular Consonants have no uvulars.

Of these, 19 have a full page on this site.

Every Niger-Congo language in WALS, placed at the point the atlas gives for it.

Word order against the world

Members with at least 30 coded features, compared with every language WALS codes for each pairing.

dependent before the headboth or otherafter the head

  • Subject and verb
    Niger-Congobefore: 39100% · none of 39
    All WALSbefore: 1192both or other: 110after: 19480% · 13% of 1,496
  • Object and verb
    Niger-Congobefore: 1both or other: 2after: 353% · 92% of 38
    All WALSbefore: 712both or other: 101after: 70547% · 46% of 1,518
  • Noun phrase and adposition
    Niger-Congobefore: 5both or other: 5after: 2813% · 74% of 38
    All WALSbefore: 577both or other: 96after: 51149% · 43% of 1,184
  • Genitive and noun
    Niger-Congobefore: 9both or other: 2after: 2724% · 71% of 38
    All WALSbefore: 685both or other: 96after: 46855% · 37% of 1,249
  • Adjective and noun
    Niger-Congobefore: 4both or other: 2after: 3310% · 85% of 39
    All WALSbefore: 373both or other: 115after: 87927% · 64% of 1,367
  • Demonstrative and noun
    Niger-Congobefore: 1both or other: 2after: 343% · 92% of 37
    All WALSbefore: 551both or other: 84after: 59045% · 48% of 1,225
  • Numeral and noun
    Niger-Congobefore: 2after: 355% · 95% of 37
    All WALSbefore: 479both or other: 67after: 60842% · 53% of 1,154
  • Relative clause and noun
    Niger-Congoboth or other: 1after: 32none · 97% of 33
    All WALSbefore: 141both or other: 104after: 57917% · 70% of 824
  • Degree word and adjective
    Niger-Congobefore: 1both or other: 2after: 710% · 70% of 10
    All WALSbefore: 227both or other: 62after: 19247% · 40% of 481

Shared and split traits

Where the family agrees most
FeatureMost frequent valueMembers
Uvular ConsonantsNo uvulars56 of 56
The OptativeInflectional optative absent29 of 29
Comparative ConstructionsExceed Comparative19 of 19
Finger and HandDifferent19 of 19
Indefinite PronounsGeneric-noun-based indefinites19 of 19
Antipassive ConstructionsNo antipassive14 of 14
Productivity of the Antipassive Constructionno antipassive14 of 14
Obligatory Possessive InflectionNo obligatorily possessed nouns11 of 11
Where it is most divided
FeatureLargest groupMembers
Inflectional Synthesis of the Verb2-3 categories per word2 of 8
Indefinite ArticlesNo indefinite article but definite article22 of 62
Other Roles of Applied ObjectsNo applicative construction5 of 14
Periphrastic Causative ConstructionsSequential type but no purposive type4 of 11
Imperative-Hortative SystemsThe language has a maximal system, but not a minimal one18 of 48

Members

LanguageBranchBasic orderFeatures coded
AdioukrouAgnebynot coded23
AghemWide Grassfieldsnot coded22
AkanTanoSVO55
AmoCentral Kainjinot coded27
AnufoTanonot coded22
BabungoWide GrassfieldsSVO51
Baka (in Cameroon)Ubanginot coded24
BimobaOti-Voltanot coded20
BiromBenue-Congo PlateauSVO42
ChichewaBantuSVO31
DagaareOti-Voltanot coded25
DagbaniOti-VoltaSVO42
Diola-FognyJolaSVO80
DoyayoSamba-DuruSVO46
DukaCentral Kainjinot coded22
EfikLower Crossnot coded26
EngenniEdoidnot coded29
EweGbeSVO104
EwondoBantuSVO40
FongbeGbenot coded20
Fulfulde (Adamawa)Peul-SererSVO52
FyemBenue-Congo PlateauSVO40
Gbeya BossangoaGbaya-Manza-NgbakaSVO52
GokanaOgonoidnot coded22
GreboKruSVO107
GwariNupoidno dominant order35
GãGa-Dangmenot coded26
HundeBantunot coded21
IgboIgboidSVO91
IziIgboidnot coded23
JukunJukunoidnot coded21
KanaOgonoidSVO37
KikuyuBantunot coded25
KinyarwandaBantunot coded22
KisiSouthern Melno dominant order55
KlaoKrunot coded20
KongoBantuSVO57
KoromfeKoromfeSVO106
KwangaliBantunot coded20
LelemiNa-TogoSVO30
LindaUbangiSVO34
LingalaBantuSVO33
LugandaBantunot coded35
LundaBantunot coded24
LuvaleBantuSVO110
MbaUbanginot coded27
MbumMbumicnot coded27
MooréOti-Voltanot coded29
MumuyeMumuye-YandangSVO46
MundangMbumicnot coded22
NdebeleBantunot coded24
NdongaBantunot coded29
NdutCanginSVO31
NkonyaTanonot coded21
Nkore-KigaBantuSVO93
NoniBeboidSVO36
NoonCanginSVO35
NupeNupoidnot coded28
NyamweziBantunot coded23
OboloLower CrossSVO31
OgbronuagumCentral Deltanot coded24
RunyankoreBantunot coded20
SangoUbangiSVO110
SesothoBantunot coded28
ShonaBantuSVO34
SupyireSenufoSOV130
SwahiliBantuSVO128
TemneNorthern MelSVO43
TunenBantunot coded23
WolofWolofSVO64
XhosaBantunot coded22
YorubaDefoidSVO125
ZandeUbangiSVO41
ZuluBantuSVO126

Not listed: 250 further Niger-Congo languages with fewer than 20 coded features.